Kevin Garnett to the Lakers? It would be great for Kobe, but yesterday's sizzling trade rumor – four teams – is today's squashed idea, because one of those teams – Boston – apparently didn't like that they were "only" getting Jermaine O'Neal.

Hey, the Celtics are the misguided fools who want to "win now." I thought the T'wolves were about to come out as the big winners, landing Al Jefferson and the Celtics' No. 5 pick, to go with their own No. 7 pick.

Regardless of who Minnesota drafted (or traded one of those picks for), with that deal, T'wolves fans would have had something even more valuable than Kevin Garnett: They would have had HOPE.

Blazers trying to trade LaMarcus Aldridge? That would suggest they are taking Greg Oden, to pair with Zach Randolph (rather than Kevin Durant, to pair with Zach Randolph).

Oh, and here's something kind of funny: If NBA teams were drafting sports bloggers instead of players. I fell out of the Lottery to the Lakers at No. 19. (However, I would get to fulfill my dream by creating the "Bar-mitzvah Backcourt" with Kobe Jordan Farmar.)

Chauncey Billups is a free agent: If he wants to win, he should stay with the Pistons. If he wants to be more of The Man, he should go to another team. The Pistons are on the way down, not up.

NFL: The most must-see NFL moment of the offseason between the Draft and the first week of training camp comes today when Congress holds its hearings into the NFL's sketchy history handling player disability.

Bears cut Tank Johnson: Who didn't see this coming? But you have to wonder: If this happened during the reign of Paul "Let It Slide" Tagliabue rather than Roger "Get Tough" Goodell, would the Bears have cut him? I think not.

Club bouncer sues Pac-Man: Adding insult to injury (or vice versa... at this point with Jones, I've lost track), he's being sued by the strip-club bouncer who says Jones bit him back in February.

MLB Stud, Batter: Shawn Green, who hit the 11th-inning, game-winning, walk-off home run to lead the Mets over the (new-rival) Cardinals last night.

MLB Stud, Pitcher: CC Sabathia, who won his 11th game with a complete-game win over the A's.

MLB Dud: Cristian Guzman. Just when he and the Nats had it together in hopeful way, he goes out for the season with that injured thumb.

TV Watch: "Shaq's Big Challenge." Cynical NBA fans may scoff, but if Shaq can do anything to erode the grip of childhood obesity that is one of this country's biggest epidemics, I'll stand up and cheer him. Speaking of bad eating habits...

Kobayashi is out of the Hot Dog Eating Contest! Apparently, arthritis means he can barely open his mouth. Knowing about the guys who are run the competitive eating league, this is a dubious as the WWE's "death" of Vince McMahon.

Speaking of Kevin Durant, he'll be on the cover of EA's NCAA Madness '08. Like Adam Morrison a year ago, he was the most dynamic player of the previous season, but – actually IN March – his team underachieved.

(Update: I just saw the picture of Durant they used on the cover of the game. I hope that's a placeholder, because otherwise? Worst. Cover Image. Ever.)

R.I.P. Chris Benoit, his wife and his 7-year-old son, found dead Monday. Condolences to family, friends and fans of the pro-wrestling superstar and his family, who were killed under extremely mysterious circumstances that are sure to continue to be a huge story. UPDATE: Murder-suicide? Cripes, that is horrifying.

50 comments:

If Danny Ainge trades Jefferson and the #5 and only get Jermaine O'Neal back he should be fired on the spot. Talk about making your team worse but if the trade as the Boston globe has it is correct it makes the Celtics better. According to the Boston Globe the Celtics are giving up Green, Telfair, Ratliff and the #5 and getting O'Neal back. The hold up is that the Celtics do not want to trade jefferson and minnesota does not want to the deal without getting Jefferson

Always liked Benoit when I watched wrestling back in the day. I always find it a little sad when a wrestler dies at a young age as the first thing one thinks of is steroids or some other kind of issue that messes with their mind. I do hope it was foul play from the outside..as opposed to a murder/suicide situation.

I don't like the assumption (made by the NYTimes, then furthered by Henry Abbott and others) that because Stephen Danley played a little ball at a smart college he therefore is perfect to write a draft report. I found the article bland, uninteresting, and pretty useless. A story about Jeff Green from a summer ball pickup game? What? Any of the guys he talks about would wipe the floor with the Penn team (some of them have). He's not their peer and is totally unable to rate them as such. Instead, he's an inexperienced writer in over his head. I get my draft information from the professionals.

I don't watch wrestling anymore, but when I did the guys I liked were Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho. Kinda hard to wrap my head around the idea that 2 of them are dead and one of the dead is also double-murderer.

No. No I'm not. I've been watching since I was 5 and although my reasons for watching have changed from watching Hulk Hogan beat up Ted DiBiase to watching and appreciating the athleticism of guys - not for sport, since it's predetermined, but for entertainment - and Chris Benoit was very, very good at what he did in the ring.

So in short, I'm not embarassed. Never have been. I know most people don't understand how an otherwise normal twenty-three year old college educated guy can love seeing two muscly guys in tights beat each other up despite it being "fake" and sometimes I don't understand why I do either. But I do.

I agree with Jason and a lot of the others who have posted here. I used to "follow" pro wrestling, and now just flip it on when I'm bored on Monday Nights (i.e. NOT during football season). Benoit's death was a total shock to me yesterday.

But I don't want to condemn the man until all the facts are heard. Let's not idolize him, but let's not crucify him yet either.

It does sound like this might end up being an extremely bizarre story when it's all said and done though.

I think the AL All-star starter comes down to 4 people, CC, Beckett, Haren and Verlander. And I think because Leyland is the manger it will be Verlander even though all 4 are deserving. Look at the stats

cmfrost, good analysis, but it doesn't tell the whole story. Look also at strikeouts, walks, innings pitched, CG, team record... the case for Sabathia looks far better when you take all of that into account. But yeah, I think you're right that it will be Verlander in a hometown move. I suppose I can't argue with that -- managers always want to give their own guys the start. Although CC is from the Bay Area, so it would be special to let him start there in front of friends/family, etc. I don't think it's gonna happen though.

Todd, Thanks. I really quickly looked at the numbers but all 4 have been impressive and it would be really hard to pick one over the other. Some it might also have to do with when they pitch there last game before the all-star break. If any of the 4 start one of the last 2 games before the all-star break then that would rule them out.

I never am shocked at some of the things pro wrestlers do because of the roids and the fact that they are mostly a mcnugget short of a happy meal for doing the things to their body that they do. My personal favorite involved Macho Man. 2 in the morning at a 7-11 across from my parents old place on st pete beach I am buying a slim jim and a can of Kodiak when in walks the Macho Man. He is behind me in line with two cases of beer under each arm when I ask him to say it while offering him my slim jim. He not only growled "Oh yeah, Snap into it, but he invited me to his after party. He lived about three blocks from my parents so I walked over there and had a beer with him.

So who is everyones favorite wrestler and/or favorite moment in wrasslin.

Who really cares who starts the All-Star game? They'll all get to pitch anyways (although the starter will probably get one extra inning). You can theorize all you want about who the starter will be, but it will probably come down to how rested each of the pitchers will be going into the game. Isn't that the reason that The Gambler started last year..the other pitchers had started games too close to(e.g. on the Sunday before) the All-Star Game?

It is weird but they sell kodiak everywhere but I don't know anyone who chews it. Hell I even switched brands to grizzly because of how expensive it got. Everyone I have met in Chicago thinks I'm some hillbilly yokel because I am always working a lip.

Sheilds from the Rays probably wont even make the All Star team but he should get some consideration for what he has done in the first half of the season. I can't wait to watch him pitch tonite against the White Sux.

The thing is I only dip because I work in a kitchen and can't smoke while I work. I can take a pinch and not have to spit for like a half hour and still get my fix, But thats the only redneck thing about me. Hell I grew up in L.A. and Scotland and didn't move to Florida til I was 16.

The Benoit story is crazy. That is like the fifth time in a week or two where a dad has snuffed out his family. I can't fathom how a mom or dad could kill their entire family. At least Benoit was creative in using three different techniques of death, but then he was always a guy with great technique in the ring so you would expect no less.

I'm with Adam Giblin (way up thread). Danley's got the writing mechanics and potential to amuse/inform, but all I could think of was how terrible he played versus the guys he critiques. I posted to my blog on this very issue.

I wonder, though, if Danley was a 22-year-old writer who'd covered college basketball for four years--rather than a mediocre D1 player--whether we'd be more receptive to his thoughts.

Connect With Me

Quickish

About This Blog

DanShanoff.com is a sports-blog spin-off of my long-time ESPN.com column, "The Daily Quickie." Anchored by an early-morning post of must-know topics, the blog is updated frequently throughout the day with new posts and user comments.